Liners - How to Extend Their Lives and When it's Time to Replace
The vast majority of in-ground, personal swimming pools are fitted with a vinyl liner. Liners come in all sorts of colors and designs, and their function is to essentially hold the water in the pool so that it doesn't escape through any cracks in the pool itself.
Not to mention, they're pretty! Liners give the pool water a nice, crisp, sometimes blue appearance that makes you want to dive right in!
Today we're here to talk with you about ways to extend the life of YOUR liner, and how you know it's time for a replacement.
Let's start by talking about lifespan.
Liners, if taken care of well, can last from 15-20 years. Average liner care (how most people will take care of their liners) results in the liner lifespan of approximately 10-15 years. That's still a pretty long time!
How to take the best care of your liner.
Before I mentioned liner care. Let's get into what that actually means. (Hint: it doesn't just mean hiring a pool service. You have the power to take great care of your liner, and we're here to help whenever you need it!).
Here are the four steps to ensure that your liner is well taken care of:
Make sure your water is balanced. Any imbalance in water chemistry can have an effect on the liner. Typically, liners can become brittle and break more easily with water imbalance. Need help keeping your pool balanced? We offer water testing as regular maintenance for $30 + chemicals!
Your pool must have calcium. Part of having a balanced pool involves calcium, but this chemical is so important specifically for liner health. Calcium protects the liner and keeps it from going brittle.
Keep your pool clear. This one goes back to number 1. If your pool is imbalanced, it's important to rectify that quickly before algae blooms and takes root in your liner.
Keep deck furniture and other non-pool toys out of the pool! Liners are strong, but don't test it! The quickest way to ruin a liner is through a rip or tear.
How do I know it's time?
So now that you know how to take care of your liner, let's chat a little more about when you know it's time to say goodbye and begin the search for your new liner. The most obvious sign to replace your liner is if there is a rip or tear in the liner that is unable to be patched...or maybe you have just enough of those patches that your liner is starting to look more like a quilt and less like a liner!
Sometimes your pool will develop a leak that proves to be the result of an old liner rather than the plumbing. This is another case where the only solution will be to install a new liner. After this, the reasons for replacing your liner become a little more cosmetic: excessive wrinkling, unsightly bleaching, and staining.
There is a best time to replace!
Here in Virginia Beach, as well as the majority of the milder climates, we recommend replacing your liner in the spring, before it's time to officially open your pool for the season! Around here, opening time is typically in April, so we'd recommend you replacing the liner in March. Getting on the schedule to replace your liner in early Spring ensures that not only should you not have trouble getting on the schedule, but you also won't lose out on any of your swimming time in the summer. Your pool will be ready well before you are! Around this time of the year, the warm weather is just slowly approaching, which is exactly what is needed for the liner setting process. Lastly, depending on the company, you can occasionally find off-season discounts as well!
We hope this post has been helpful and empowering for you in understanding how to care for your liner, and when it's time to consider replacing.